Is Hepatitis G Virus Transmitted Sexually?

To the Editor. —Hepatitis G virus (HGV), a new member of the Flaviviridae family, has been recently cloned.¹This agent is known to be transmitted parenterally and a high prevalence of HGV RNA has been found in injection drug users, hemophiliacs, and patients receiving hemodialysis. However, no data are yet available about sexual or perinatal transmission of HGV.²We present preliminary data that support the sexual transmission of this virus. We investigated the presence of HGV RNA in cryopreserved serum samples taken from 150 index cases and their stable heterosexual partners. Index cases had attended the hospital because they showed elevated alanine aminotransferase levels and/or had risk factors for parenterally/sexually transmitted viral diseases. In addition, we also studied the prevalence of HGV infection in 193 female prostitutes and 149 homosexual men who had participated in a study on sexual transmission of hepatitus C virus (HCV)³and from